Mountains upon Mountains

Learning to code was like climbing mountains before. Now, we’re still climbing, but we’ve lost sight of the trail. Much of the day seems to be spent in a fog where I don’t feel like I fully understand the fundamentals, much less the advanced stuff for they are teaching us. Fortunately this week we have time for consolidation of Java while we learn front-end Android development, which is much more like using a computer program to design a PowerPoint presentation.

I have hope that hard work and difficulties will lead to some breakthrough. I’m also stress-cooking – on Sunday, I made bread, and yesterday, I made 2kg of pulled pork. Tonight’s plan: vegetables and soup. I feel like I have to do something I’m good at to keep from feeling completely and totally inept.

Meanwhile, Scotland is proving itself to be well worth the title of the most beautiful country in the world. I went running down to the beach in the city on Sunday, and on the way, realised that I don’t think I’ve seen a single ugly street the entire time I’ve been here. Then, I got to the water, seen above. Sure, it was cold, but I feel like one could spend a lifetime staring at the ocean here.

When I was growing up, my friend Jarmilka said that she never thought she could live anywhere without access to the ocean. I laughed; I didn’t feel the same draw to saltwater that she did. Now she lives in Switzerland, and I don’t think I could move from here.